Crane engineer vs heavy machinery operator

The differences between crane engineers and heavy machinery operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a crane engineer and a heavy machinery operator. Additionally, a crane engineer has an average salary of $64,963, which is higher than the $31,351 average annual salary of a heavy machinery operator.

The top three skills for a crane engineer include cranes, HMI and PLC. The most important skills for a heavy machinery operator are dump truck, backhoe, and load trucks.

Crane engineer vs heavy machinery operator overview

	Crane Engineer	Heavy Machinery Operator
Yearly salary	$64,963	$31,351
Hourly rate	$31.23	$15.07
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	2,666	37,580
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Crane engineer vs heavy machinery operator salary

Crane engineers and heavy machinery operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crane Engineer	Heavy Machinery Operator
Average salary	$64,963	$31,351
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $102,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Reedley, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Dairy Farmers of America
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between crane engineer and heavy machinery operator education

There are a few differences between a crane engineer and a heavy machinery operator in terms of educational background:

	Crane Engineer	Heavy Machinery Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Crane engineer vs heavy machinery operator demographics

Here are the differences between crane engineers' and heavy machinery operators' demographics:

	Crane Engineer	Heavy Machinery Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 0.9% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between crane engineer and heavy machinery operator duties and responsibilities

Crane engineer example responsibilities.

Implement computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) for scheduling and execution of preventative and predictive maintenance to improve equipment reliability.
Perform general maintenance to guestrooms and public areas while monitoring and maintaining cleanliness, sanitation and organization of assign work areas.

Heavy machinery operator example responsibilities.

Used heavy machinery such as a bobcat, backhoe and forklift to move asphalt or material.
Operate CNC lathe along with several other pieces of machinery equipment.
Operate backhoe to excavate excess water/mud to build barriers to prevent a spill over onto roads and residential area.
Start engines, move throttle switch and levers, such as bulldozers, road graders and backhoes and relate machines.
Operate light machinery including bulldozers and maintainers
Reviewed/Approve area assessment reports and corrective action plans assuring compliance with applicable OSHA and EPA regulatory guidance.

Crane engineer vs heavy machinery operator skills

Common crane engineer skills

Cranes, 73%
HMI, 11%
PLC, 9%
Electrical Systems, 8%

Common heavy machinery operator skills

Dump Truck, 15%
Backhoe, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Front End Loader, 7%
CDL, 6%
Bobcat, 6%

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Crane Engineer vs Heavy Machinery Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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